Reinforced-concrete pile, column, or pole.



R. A. CUMMINGS.

REINFORGED CONCRETE PILE, COLUMN, OR POLE.

APPLICATION IILIID SILI'T. 27, 1009.

1,041,634, Patented Oct. 15, 1912. 3 I 5 6 Z3,

ends of the longitudinal bars, andfis specitically claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 533,452, filed December 16, 1909. Similarly, at the top I may provide a suitable metal or other vcap 15, preferably a casting having cast thereinto the short pieces of rods -16 which are welded. at 17 to the longitudinal reinforcing bars 2. This cap serves not only as a. protection for the upper end of the pile, post, pole or column but also as'an anchor for the upper endsof the longitudinal reinforcing bars. y

At the upper end, and also preferably at the lower end of piles, posts, or other structures which are designed to be driven or to receive heavy loads, and also if desired, at points intermediate the length thereof, I provide special transverse reinforcements to take care of the tension strains induced in the cementitious body by hammer blows or other heavy loads. It has been demonstrated that when, for instance, a concrete pile is placed under a destructive load, such as a blow of the hammer in driving the same, the fracture begins with the spalling or breaking out of portions of the side faces of the pile and extending around the same. Such portions never break out at any point where the pile is supported, or at the point where the load is appdied but only intermediate these points. 'Ihe broken out parts occur substantially intermediate the ends or between supports. This form of fracture is due to the fact that when the load is applied, the vertical compression stresses induce lateral stresses tending to spreader Hatten out the column, the same as when a compressive load is applied to a rubber cylinder the latter tends to flatten out, thereby inducing horizontal or lateral stresses which produce tension strains in the material. In concrete columns similar lateral tension strains are induced. To effectively take care of such stresses, and particularly at the top and bot- -copending application before mentioned and Fig. 7 shows a perforated sheet metal plate 22. Whichever form of transverse reinforcement is employed such reinforcements are placed quite close to each other, as shown at 23 Fig. 1. In ordinary sized piles these are placed as close together as one inch but I do not limit myself to this dimension. These transverse reinforcements, and the cement form laminaJ of metal and cement,

sion stresses induced in the cement.

and the metal takes care of the lateral ten- This feature is broadly claimed in my application Serial No. 501,628, filed June 11th, 1909. rIhis application shows an improvement over the design shown in the prior applica-.

tion referred to, in that the spacing members in the transverse reinforcements are secured to the longitudinal reinforcing bars. To effectively dor this, it is, of course, essential that the metal occupy or comprise a substantial portion of the cross-section of the structure in any one transverse plane. To hold these reinforcements in position while molding` the column Qr-other structure, they are united by longitudinal members 24, such y' as wiring them together. The members 24C merely serve as spacing members for the transverse reinforcing members and are in turn united at 25 to the longitudinal vreinforcing members 2 of the main body of the column, being` secured to the members 2 by means of the bands or hooks 3. The spacing members 24, however, formed of light metal so that the end of the structure can be readily broken as is necessary in a group of piles where all piles .cannot be driven to the same depth. lVith' these transverse reinforcements in the upper end of the .pile the latter can be driven without any particular protecting cap. Fig. 1 shows such transverse reinforcements at the top and bottom of the pile, but if desired the same may be supplied for any or all parts of the structure, either alone or with longitudinal reinforcing members.

rIhe longitudinal.I reinforcing members hold the pile against fracture under bend-v stresses, such as when handling or hoisting the same, and by reason of their anchorage in the concrete make the pile ver strong. It has been rdemonstrated that before a reinforced pile or column can break the longitudinalreinforcing members must slip in the concrete. By firmly anchoring the same as above described, this is'prevented and the fracture of the pile or column isresisted by the 'compressivestrength of the concrete between the anchors, and as the compressive strength of concrete is very high. the pile is practically unbreakable by bending stresses.

The longitudinal reinforcing bars described may, of course extend for the whole or any desired portion of the length of the pile, post, pole, or column or similar structure. Likewise, the transverse reinforcements described may be-placed`-uniformly from end to end of the structure or distributed therein in any desired manner, and not merely located at the ends as illustrated.

That I claim is:

1.Y An artificial pile, column or pole comprising a body of cementitious material, main 'reinforcing members comprising lon- 

